This application claims the priority of German Application No. 103 49 911.3-16 filed Oct. 25, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a vehicle rear seat assembly having a seat part and a swivellable backrest which can be selectively deposited on the seat part in a storage position.
From German Patent Document DE 101 23 776 A1, a vehicle seat is know which has folding kinematics and in which case the seat comprises a seat part and a backrest part which can be folded down onto this seat part and, when the seat is changed from the usage position into its folded-together non-usage position, the seat part can be folded forward and downward by means of a linkage arranged on both sides of the seat and disposed in the seat console.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved vehicle seat of the above-mentioned type which, while it is easy to handle, can be adjusted from a seat position into a folded-down depositing position and in which case, in this depositing position, an additional loading surface can be obtained in the vehicle.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing a rear seat for a motor vehicle including a seat part and a swivellable seat backrest, the seat backrest being adjustable from an upright seat position into a deposited depositing position on a top side of the seat part, wherein at least one control device is arranged between the backrest and the seat part, which control device comprises a first control lever which is connected with the backrest and is hinged to a second control lever which engages with the seat part by way of an adjusting device.
Other advantageous features and characteristics of preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein in the claims.
An important advantage achieved by means of certain preferred embodiments of the invention relates to the fact that, by folding the backrest onto the seat part of a rear seat bench system, an additional loading surface is created in a simple manner on the rearward side of the backrest, which loading surface is constructed approximately at the same level as the remaining loading surface of the vehicle. This is achieved in that at least one control device is arranged between the backrest and the seat part, which control device comprises a first control lever which is connected with the backrest and is hinged to a second control lever which engages with the seat part by way of an adjusting device.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, so that the seat part can be adjusted in the direction of the driving direction of the vehicle during a folding of the rear set backrest, it is provided that the second control lever comprises two control arms and is stationarily held in a swivel bearing, and a sliding block of the adjusting device is provided at its one free end, and a connecting joint to the first control lever is provided on its facing-away other free end. Furthermore, according to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is provided that the seat part has a guide link as an adjusting device on the underside, in which guide link the sliding block of the second control lever of the adjusting device is displaceably arranged such that, in the depositing position, the seat part can assume a pushed-forward position. Instead of the link, according to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the second control lever according to the invention can also be connected with a driving element which engages in a corresponding guide rail.
For achieving a displacing movement of the seat part in the driving direction, according to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first control arm is connected at a distance below the swiveling axis with the seat backrest such that, by means of the first control arm, a pulling movement is carried out against the driving direction, and the sliding block on the connected second control lever causes a pressing movement in the driving direction. Preferably, at least one control device is arranged between the backrest and the seat part, the first control lever extending n the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the second control lever extending in the transverse direction of vehicle in the seat position. As a result, a simple control device is created which requires little space, and an adjusting device is created which comprises few components and is easy to mount.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the seat part is adjustably by way of rollers or sliding devices arranged in stationary guide rails and, viewed in the driving direction, swiveling levers are arranged on the forward side or in the forward area of the seat part on the underside of the seat part, which swiveling levers, during the forward-sliding, lower the seat part to such an extent that an approximately plane, additional loading surface is obtained with respect to the existing loading surface of the vehicle.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, these swiveling levers are mutually connected in a spaced manner by way of a crossbar and, by means of one end are in each case swivellably about an axis linked to the seat underframe or to the vehicle body, and the upright free ends of the swiveling levers, which face away, are held on the seat part. As a result, it is achieved that, when the backrest is folded into the driving direction, the seat part can be continuously lowered when being pushed forward.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, for achieving a simplified pushing-back into the seat position, a spring element is provided in an applied manner on the swiveling lever or in the swiveling axis of the backrest, which spring element, according to the invention, is arranged on at least one of the swiveling levers and has an initial tension against the lowering position of the seat part.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, for folding the backrest locked in the seat position, an unlocking handle of the backrest is operated and the backrest is folded forward by way of the latter, so that the backrest can be swiveled by means of the unlocking handle about the swiveling axis during adjusting movements of the first and second control lever of the control device into the depositing position onto the seat part, in which case, by way of the second control lever, the seat part can be displaced in the driving direction and can be adjusted into the lowered depositing position by means of the swiveling lever. As a result of this folding of the backrest, a subsequent movement of the seat part is triggered by way of the control levers, which also takes place when the backrest is folded back.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.